Pathfinder - The Swashbuckler Handbook

Disclaimer

I will use content from the core rules, but will intentionally omit any content not published
on the official Pathfinder SRD due to the
unmanageable volume of non-SRD content, and the wildly varying quality of non-SRD content.
If you would like me to write handbooks for specific content not published on the official
SRD, please email me and I will consider it on a case-by-case
basis. I will use the color coding scheme which has become common among Pathfinder build
handbooks. Also note that many colored items are also links to the Paizo SRD.

Red: Bad, useless options, or options which are extremely situational.

Orange: OK options, or useful options that only apply in rare circumstances

Green: Good options.

Blue: Fantastic options, often essential to the function of your character.

Temporary Note: Pathfinder Unchained and Occult Adventures were
both recently added to the SRD. I'm excited to explore them, and I am actively working
on adding their contents to my collection of handbooks. I appreciate your patience while
I make these changes.

Introduction

The Swashbuckler is a very exciting take on non-magical combat in Pathfinder,
which can become a boring war of attrition between stat blocks. The Swashbuckler
has the ability to serve as a Face and a Striker, but could be turned into a Defender
with a few feats.

Swashbuckler Class Features

Hit Points: d10 hit points is standard for martial
classes, but with only light armor and bucklers you will need to be careful to defend
yourself or you will burn through your hit points very quickly.

Base Attack Bonus: Full BAB.

Saves: Reflex is the Swashbuckler's only good save,
and with good Dexterity it will be fantastic, but you really need to work to fill in
the gaps in the Swashbuckler's defenses. Charmed Life helps a bit, but it has very
limited uses per day.

Proficiencies: You get martial weapons, but with only
light armor and bucklers, your AC isn't going to be great until you pick up Nimble.

Skills: 4+ skill ranks is nice, and Swashbucklers get
all of the skills required to be a Face.

Panache (Ex): Panache fuels the Swashbuckler's Deeds.
You get a very limited pool, but you can recharge it by scoring critical hits or by
killing worthy opponents. Because Panache is so important, almost every Swashbuckler
will use a weapon with a high threat range, such as a Rapier or Scimitar.

Deeds: Swashbuckler Deeds, much like Gunslinger Deeds, are
a list of special uses for Panache. Sweashbucklers get all Deeds automatically, assuming
that they are sufficiently high level. For more information on Deeds, see my
Swashbuckler
Deeds Breakdown.

Swashbuckler Finesse (Ex): This is a fantastic option for
a class dip for a ton of builds. You can use Weapon Finesse with any light or one-handed
piercing weapons, which includes things like heavy picks and spiked heavy shields. The
ability to use Charisma in place of Intelligence for Combat Feats means that you can
get Combat Expertise without the requisite 13 intelligence and pick up all of the cool
combat maneuver feats which require it. Remember that Slashing Grace allows you to
treat your selected slashing weapon as piercing for feats and such, so you can use
a scimitar or falcata.

Charmed Life (Ex): Not quite as good as Divine Grace,
but this will help compensate for the Swashbuckler's poor saves when save-or-suck
effects arise.

Nimble (Ex): Free AC is great.

Bonus Feats: Swashbuckler levels count as Fighter levels,
which means you can take Fighter-only feats like Disruptive. The retraining option is
an often-overlooked benefit of Fighter bonus feats which allows you to do ridiculous
things like take Weapon Specialization at 4th level, then retrain that choice at 8th
level into Improved Critical, or something else with a level-dependent prerequisite.
Don't actually take Improved Critical because you get Swashbuckler Weapon Training.

Swashbuckler Weapon Training (Ex): You are treated as
having Improved Critical 3 levels before you could get it, and probably a level or two
before you could afford a +1 keen weapon. The attack and damage bonuses are nice, too.

Swashbuckler Weapon Mastery (Ex): Your Rapier/Scimitar now
has 14-20/x3 criticals with no enhancements or feats.

Abilities

Str: You might take 13 for Power Attack, but certainly
no more than that, and even that is difficult to justify. This is generally the
Swashbuckler's dump stat.

Dex: The Swashbuckler's primary ability; applies to
attacks, AC, Reflex saves, many important skills, and if you take Slashing Grace
it applies to damage.

Con: Swashbucklers need hit points to compensate for
their AC, and they need help with Fortitude saves.

Int: Only needed for skills. If you plan to play a
Face, don't take less than 10, otherwise you can dump this.

Wis: Only needed for Will saves.

Cha: Determines the size of your Panache pool, and
how many points you start the day with.

25 Point Buy

20 Point Buy

15 Point Buy

Elite Array

Str: 7

Dex: 18

Con: 14

Int: 10

Wis: 12

Cha: 14

Str: 7

Dex: 17

Con: 14

Int: 10

Wis: 11

Cha: 14

Str: 7

Dex: 16

Con: 12

Int: 10

Wis: 12

Cha: 14

Str: 8

Dex: 15

Con: 14

Int: 10

Wis: 12

Cha: 13

Races

Dexterity is key to the Swashbuckler, and because the Swashbuckler doesn't need
to be enlarged like many martial characters, small characters are perfectly viable.
Bonuses to Charisma are also helpful because they boost your Panache points.

Dwarf: No bonus to Dexterity, and a penalty to Charisma.
While Dwarves are typically fantastic melee characters, the Swashbuckler isn't a
good option for Dwarves.

Elf: Bonuses to Dexterity and Intelligence are both
good for the Swashbuckler, but be careful of the penalty to Constitution. Most of
the Elf's racial abilities are focused on magic, but alternate racial abilities
can make the Elf a slightly better choice. The Elf favored class bonus provides a
nice boost to the Swashbuckler's Panache points, which makes the Swashbuckler more
sustainable in combat.

Gnome: Though not as good as Halflings, Gnomes get
a bonus to Charisma, and have some interesting abilities. If you're willing to trade
some offensive ability for some hit points, the Gnome isn't a terrible option. The
Gnome favored class bonus gives more uses of Charmed Life, but Swashbucklers already
get enough uses of Charmed Life to get through the day.

Half-Elf: The Half-Elf has a lot of great options for
the Swashbuckler, including a flexible ability bonus and some bonuses to social skills.
Alternate racial abilities offer even more useful options. The Half-Elf favored
class bonus gives more uses of Charmed Life, but Swashbucklers already get enough
uses of Charmed Life to get through the day, so take the Elf or Human favored class
bonuses instead for extra Panache points.

Half-Orc: A flexible ability bonus, Darkvision, and some
other situational abilities. The favored class bonus takes a horrifying 12 levels to
match the effects of Power Critical, so take the Human favored class bonus for extra
Panache points.

Halfling: Bonuses to both of the Swashbuckler's most
important ability scores, small, and a collection of interesting racial abilities.
Look at alternate racial abilities (especially Fleet of Foot). The Halfling favored
class bonus gives more uses of Charmed Life, but Swashbucklers already get enough
uses of Charmed Life to get through the day.

Human: Always the gold standard, Humans are fantastic
Swashbucklers. The extra feat can get you to Slashing Grace at first level, and the
racial ability bonus can go into Dexterity. On top of that, the Human favored class
bonus adds to the size of the Panache pool.

Skills

Acrobatics (Dex): Helpful for getting around in
combat, but not essential.

Bluff (Cha): Essential for a Face.

Climb (Str): Too situational.

Diplomacy (Cha): Essential for a Face.

Escape Artist (Dex): Situational, but the class
skill bonus is worth one rank.

Sleight of Hand (Dex): Situational, but the class
skill bonus is worth one rank.

Swim (Str): Too situational.

Feats

Combat Expertise: An excellent way to overcome
the Swashbuckler's poor AC, and it opens up a lot of great combat maneuver
feats. You can ignore the Intelligence requirement thanks to Swashbuckler's
Finesse.

Confounding Tumble Deed: This is really only
useful if you have a rogue to take advantage of it.

Disarming Threat Deed: Situational.

Dodge: More AC never hurts, but Combat Expertise will
have a much better payoff.

Dueling Cape: Use a real buckler, and throw
a tanglefoot bag if you need to entangle your enemies.

Pommel Strike Deed: Or you could take Improved Trip,
which doesn't consume Panache and which gives you a bonus to the check.

Power Attack: If you can spare the points to get
13 Strength, this is quite a bit of extra damage.

Signature Deed: Your GM might be nice enough to let you
apply this to a Swashbuckler Deed. RAW you can't, but there are several places
in the class's text which mention Signature Deed. This is probably errata waiting
to happen. Assuming that you can, this is an absolute must.

Weapon Focus: The bonus is small, but it opens up
other great options.

Slashing Grace: Essential on any Swashbuckler.
Dexterity is your primary ability, so this is a ton of extra damage, and
it opens up your weapon choices quite a bit.

Weapon Specialization: Not a lot of damage,
and because most Swashbucklers don't use two-weapon fighting, this won't
be very helpful.

Two-Weapon Fighting: Because the Precise Strike deed
doesn't apply when using two-weapon fighting, this will seriously cut into your
damage output on most builds. It also removes the possibility of a buckler, which
is a crucial part of the Swashbuckler's AC, and adds a huge feat tax to remain
viable.

Weapons

Falcata: Always a tempting option, especially with
Slashing Grace, but the Swashbuckler really needs a big threat range to fuel the
Panache pool.

Rapier: The obvious option. It's usable with
Swashbuckler's Finesse, and has an 18-20 threat range.

Scimitar: Basically a rapier that does slashing
damage, so you can use it with Slashing Grace for a considerable damage boost.

Armor

Armor is presented in the order in which you should acquire it, rather than
alphabetical order.

Studded Leather: Your starting armor. Ditch it as
soon as you can get a Mithral Shirt.

Buckler: Works with Precise Strike, and leaves
your hand free for holding things like torches.